Flying-machine



1. SIMPSON. Y

FLYING MACINE.

lPPLICATON FILED AUG.23, 1916- 1 ,323,321 Patented De. 2,1919.

Inventor Attorneys.

whiny@ J. T. SIMPSON. v FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man Aue.2s. 1916.

1.323321. Patented Deo. 2, 1919.

/ 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHN THOMAS SIMPSON, F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

i FLYING-MACHrNn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1919.

Original application filed July 12, 1910, Serial No. 571,557. Divided and this application led August 23,

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, .loi-IN T. Siiirson, a-

plication for patent filed by me July 12,

1910, Serial Number 571,557.

The object I have in view is the production of an aeroplane or heavier-than-air flying machine, which will have advantages in stabilizing, balancing, starting and alight ing. Further objects are to prod uce means by which the motor may be started while the machine is on the ground and to produce means for .continuing flight, in the event of a portion or' the propelling mechanism ceasing to operate. These and further objects will appear from the following specification and accompanying drawings considered together or separately.

In the drawings,

Figure l vis the side elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention.

F ig. 2 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale ot the centrally located operating and controlling mechanism.

F ig. 3 is a detail section on the line 3 3 or' Fig. 2. Y 1

In all of the views like parts are designated by the same reference characters.

Certain of my improvements may be used upon an aeroplane of the bi-plane type, and the embodiment chosen for' illustration is ci this character. I desire to have it understood that the number of planes of the machine is unimportant and that the invention can be carried out with any form ot aeroplane.

Y In the drawings, i is the top plane,'2 is the bottom plane,l such planes being superposed in the usual manner. 3 is a rear plane for controllinga altitude and 4i is a front lane for the same purpose. 5 is the frame. his frame is made of ,verticale and longitudinals as shown, with diagonal filamentous tension members toA secure. rigidity. This frame is lightly and rigidly formed. The frame is supported upon front wheels 6 and rear wheel 7. The front wheels are supported upon a sled like arrangement 8 forming skids, there being two of such arrangements `in the front. The rear plane 3 Serial No. 116,518.

.is adjustable for different angles of incidence to be determined by trial flights; Ad-

` for the attachment of a pin on the forward edge oi' the plane, the plane being secured to a horizontal pivot at a point intermediate its ends. The rudder 16 is mounted upon a vertical axis and is controlled by wires 17.

In the preferred. embodiment of my inventionI employ a front propeller 19,and a rear propeller 20, said'propellers being mounted upon suitable shafts 19a and 20a in alinenient. I also prefer to utilize a forward engine 21 and 'a rearward engine 22, having shafts 21. and 22a in alinement. The engines illustrated are of the horizontal, two cylinder, double opposed internal combustion type. The kind of engine may be varied if desired. The shafts of the engines are connected to the shafts of the pro- .peller through suitable sprockets and a chain 23, the sprocket on the line with the engines being indicated by the character 24, and the-sprocket on the' line with the proipollers being indicated by the character 25. The engines, as. shown, are below the bottom oi' the trame so as to make the center of gravity as low as possible and also to allow the operatorto be above theengine' for safety, while the propellers are ar-- I prefer to employ a plurality of motors or engines so that in the event of one of them becoming inoperative, the machine can still remain in Hight by utilizing a certain mechanism which I will describe. I also prefer to employ a plurality of propellers for the same purpose, namely, so that if one engine is disconnected one of the propellers may also be disconnected. These propellers I preier to arrange in alinement one behind the other, so that if one is disconnected the apparatus may be propelled by the other, which would not be possible if two propellers were used upon different vertical planes. rIhe sprocket 24: in alinement with the engines is mounted upon a short shaft 31 in suitable bearings carried by the frame. 0n each extremity of this shaft is a clutch,

sov

the 'forward clutch being indicated by tl e character; 32 and the rearward clutch the character 33. t is apparent that by actuating both of these clutches both engines will be connected tothe sprocket 25g' and that if both are disengaged the sprocket with theshafts of the propell-ers, is mountsl ed upon a short shaft the ends of which are provided with a forward clutch and a rear clutch 37, these clutches connecting with the respective forward and rearward propeller shafts l9a and 20a. These clutches are controlled by suitable levers 38, also Within convenient reach of the operator. it is apparentthat both propellers may be rotated by the sprocket 25 when both clutches are engaged and that neither will be r o tated if bothV clutches are disengaged, lind one or the other inay be rotated, as depends upon` Whether the forward or rearward clutch is actuated. y

Bythis improved apparat-us it is apparent that the engines may be started v vhen the apparatus is on the ground and 'with both of the lower clutches 32 and disengaged the Propellers' willfremain at rest. After the engines are start-ed and are in rotation, one or both of the propeller-s may be brought into action and rotated by one or both of the engines by actuatino' the suitable clutches.

ltjis also `appa-rent that if one ortho other engine goes Wrong or breaks down, or becornes disabled, that the other engine and propeller can be coupled together, the cornbinations of arrangements permitting either or both propellers to be operated by either or both engines. As the rear propellerQO must operate in the air 'forced backward by the forward propeller 19, it is apparent that the pitch Vof this propeller should be greater than the, pitch of the forward propeller. The pitch of the rear propeller xviii depend upon the size and speed of the propel-ler.

The propeller shafts 194 and 20a and upper short shaft 35 are bearings and the bearings on the upper short shaft, and the bearings of the lower short vshaft are connected together by a pair of radius tubes 39-39, such tubes being provided with adjusting sleeves 40 to secure proper adjustment for the chain. rIhese tubes have openings at the tops and bottoms for the entrance and eXit of the chain and therefore provide a protection for the chain and also a protection to the operator.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes .l have described the prin- Amounted in suitable inserisci.

ciple of my in vent-ion, together with the apr paratus which lf. now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but l' desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is nierelj,7 illustrative and that the invention can' be carried -ont in other Ways.

Having now described my invention, what l., claimas new and desire to, secure by Letters Patent, is l l. A dying machine Ahaving tuyo propellers in linee/the pitch of the prropellers being dii'erent, propeller shafts in alinement, ai? center sha'tt in ahnement 'with the propeller shafts, clutches for the shafts, two engines l' Vin line engine, shafts in alinelnent, a counter shaft in alinement with the engine shafts,y

clutches connecting the engine. and counten shafts, anda chain connecting the center and counter shafts'. p

2. A flying machine having tivo engines in axial alinernent, a shaft for each engine, a driven .sh-att in axial alinenient with the engine shafts, 'ieans for connecting either ot the engine shafts with the driven shaftp counter shatt, two propeller shafts in axial alinement with the counter shaft, a propeller on each shaft, said propellers beingy ot-diercnt pitch, ymeans for connectingr eithery et the propellers with the counter shaft, and flexible means for driving the counter shaft from the driven shaft. i

- 3. 'A Vflying .machine having two enginesin axial. alinenient, a shaft 'foreach engine, a:

sin

driven shaft in axial alinement with the n n engine charts, means ror connecting botn of the ei'igine shafts with the driven shaft,

a countersha'ft, two propeller shafts in axial almere-.ent with the conntersha't't, a pro eller on each shaft, said propellers being or different pitch, means for connecting both prof pellers with the eountershaft, and flexible means for driving the countershaft from'A the drive-n shaft.

4. A flying machine having two engine in. axial alineinent, a shaft for each engine, a driven shaft in axial alinesnent with the engine shafts, means for connecting either of the` engine straits with the driven shaft',`

a countershaft, two propellers in axial alinement with the countershaft, said propeilers being of di'erent pitch, means for connecting either or" the propellers with the counter shaft, a chain Jfor driving. the conntershaft from the driven shaft, and a radius rodspacf ingthe shafts apart, said radins rod .torming a sheath for the chain.

ile

ier:

5. A iying machine having two engines in axial alinement, a shaft foreach engine, a driven shaft 1n axial alinement With the engine shafts, means for connecting either or the engine shafts with the driven shaiin a countershait, two propellers in axial. alinenient with the countershaft, said proa pellers being of different pitch, means for connecting either of the propellers with the f untershaft, a chain for driving the count rshaft fromthe driven shaft, and a radius rod spacing the shafts apart, a turnbuckle in thc. rod, said rod forming an adjustable sheath for the chain'. ,l y

6. A Hying machine having two engines in axial alinement, a shaft. -for each engine, a driven shaft in axial alinement wlth the engine shafts, means for connecting both of the engine shafts with the'driven shaft, a countei'shaft, two propellers in axial alinenignt with the countershaft, said propeliers being of different pitch, means for connecting`both propellers with the countershaft, a chain for driving the countershaft from the driven shaft, and a pair of adjustable radius rods supnorting the shafts and forminga sheath for the chain.

7. A fiying machine having two engines in axial alinement, a shaft for each'engine, a driven shaft in axial alinenient with the engine shafts, means for connecting both of the enfrine shafts With the` driven shaft,

a counters iaft, two propellers in axial aiin'ement with the countershaft, means .for connecting both propellers with the countershaft a chainfor drivingthe countershaft from the driven shaft, and an adjustable sheath for the chain.y

This specification signed'. and witnessed this -19th day of August, 1916.

- JOHN THOMAS MPSON. Witnesses :y

MAME C. HARTUNG, GEORGE ARNOLD WRIGHT. 

